Chasing the criteria instruments to assess prevalence of gambling problems among adolescents

1
Chasing the criteria instruments to assess
prevalence of gambling problems among adolescents

• Ingeborg Rossow
• Norwegian Institute
• for Alcohol and Drug Research
• Oslo

2
No gold standard for the identification of
disordered gambling (Shaffer et al, 1997)

• A menu of screening tools
• SOGS, SOGS RA
• NODS
• DSM IV, DSM IV-J
• Lie/Bet
• GA20
• MAGS
• Canadian Problem Gambling Index
• Victorian Gambling Screen

3
Core features of adolescent problem gambling?

• Deception (lying)
• SOGS-RA
• DSM-IV-J
• MAGS
• Lie/Bet)
• Chasing losses
• SOGS-RA
• DSM-IV-J
• MAGS

4
Pros cons of instruments in youth surveys

• Comprehensive instruments (SOGS-RA, DSM-IV-J,
  MAGS)
• Assessment of incidence and problem continuum
• Better assessment of various aspects of problem
  gambling
• May be difficult to employ in comprehensive
  surveys and monitoring surveys
• Short instruments (Lie/Bet)
• Comprehensive surveys and panel studies
• Co-variation with risk factors
• Antescedents and consequences of problem gambling
• Monitoring surveys
• Evaluation of market regulations
• Only life-time prevalence
• Sufficient sensitivity and specificity?

5
Aim

• Assess whether (or to what extent) Lie/bet and
  SOGS-RA
• Overlap in classifying problem gambling
• Differ in capturing core features of problem
  gambling (deception, chasing losses)
• Differ in capturing intensive or high frequency
  gambling

6
Data methods

• School based survey fall 2004
• Net sample 20,700 13-19 yr olds
• Response rate 85/75
• Self-administered questionnaire
• SOGS-RA
• Lie/Bet Questionnaire
• Chasing losses (different wording)
• Gambling frequencies
• Expenditures on gambling

7
Lie/bet SOGS-RA

• Problem gambling
• Lie/bet 3.5
• SOGS-RA 2.5
• Both Lie/Bet SOGS-RA 1.3
• Overlap
• SOGS-RA among Lie/Bet 36.2
• Lie/Bet among SOGS-RA 51

8
Lie/bet chasing SOGS-RA
SOGS-RA categories
9
Annual gambling frequency
10
Gambling expenditures
11
Deception as core feature?
SOGS-RA claimed having won when losing and/or
hidden tokens of gambling
12
Chasing losses as core feature
13
Deception chasing last 12 mths

14
Deception chasing life time

15
Discussion

• Main findings
• Both instruments discriminate well with respect
  to gambling frequency and gambling expenditures
• Only moderate overlap between Lie/Bet and SOGS-RA
• Different prevalence rates
• Different reference periods
• Capture different aspects of problem gambling
• No significant gender differences
• Applicability of instruments in youth surveys
• Lie/Bet
• Captures life time measures well, less sensitive
  to measures for 12 mths reference period
• Could be supplemented with an item on chasing
  losses
• SOGS-RA
• Captures current measures well, less sensitive to
  life time measures